Animal in Me
by Small-Time Insanity
Summary: A few weeks before the events of Loki gaining the Tesseract, his brother goes on a tour in a wildlife park outside of Manhattan. And there he meets an intriguing young woman...
1. An Asgardian at a Zoo?

My eyelids fluttered open, the distant sound of a lion roaring waking me. I yawned, stretching my arms out and rolling over on my side. At least I didn't have to drive to work, given the fact that I _live _at work. My boss, Russell, offered me a cabin out the back of the park, but not too far way from everyone. I liked it. Add a few personal items and you can make a place feel like home in no time.  
I rose from my bed and got dressed into some clothes I randomly grabbed off my dresser.

Of course, I loved the jeans, even if they had massive rips in them. Oh well, nobody ever said that your clothes wouldn't get ripped when you handle animals that have massive claws.

Now, you're probably wondering what I actually do here, aren't you? I take care of the wildlife assigned to me by Russell. Which consists of the big cats, the small pack of African Wild Dogs, and a rather cheeky band of Meerkats. I love my job. Ever since I was a little girl, my Mom would always tease me about "being one with the wild".

I walked down to the storage shed, where we kept all the animals' food, and started placing a heap of meat into a nearby wheelbarrow. It stunk, but it made the cats happy. Pushing the wheelbarrow along I made my way to the lion's den. As soon as I got near, they jumped up from where they sat and trotted over to me, some standing on their hind legs with their paws gripping the mesh fence, the others pacing back and forth waiting for their breakfast.

"You guys hungry?" I said cheerily to them. One of them, an old lioness we had named Mika, huffed in response, as if she was agreeing with me. I grabbed a heavy piece of butchered meat and hauled it over the top of the fence and into their enclosure. The lions pounced at their food and dug in, the males letting the females eat first. I laughed a little bit - even lions have manners.

"Hey, Sophrose!" I heard someone yell out to me.

I turned my head to where the voice came from. My boss, Russell, was jogging over to me, looking out of breath, his long black hair in his face from the run. "Hey Russ, what's up?"

It was always casual here. "We've got a visitor just by the giraffe pen. He's - well, how do I say it?"

"Weird?" I suggested.

"Very," he chuckled, his brown eyes twinkling. "Can you go and keep an eye on him, please?"

I looked back at the lions. "I wasn't done here though," I said with a pout.

"_I _can take care of your babies," Russell teased, "now, go to the weird guy, please?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure thing Russ, see ya."

I made my way to the giraffe pen. How weird could this guy be? When I arrived, the first thing I heard was a loud, booming voice. "How do you humans find such bizarre beasts?"

My eyes widened. Ok, Russell was right. This was going to be a tough one. I approached the strange man. His appearance was... , blonde hair, sea blue eyes, and muscular build. I couldn't help but think that this guy was something else. Shaking off my thoughts, I stepped in front of him.

"Um, excuse me? Is there a problem, sir?" I asked, my voice shaking a bit. He was much, much taller than me. Oh, who am I kidding? He's a freaking giant!

He looked down at me with a pleasantly amused expression. "Of course not, fair maiden! May I ask where you collected these beasts from?"

Fair maiden? Well, that's a new one. "The giraffe's? Um, They can be found almost anywhere in the African plains."

"I see!" he said enthusiastically, gazing up as one of the giraffes stretched it's neck out and wrapped it's long tongue around some leaves in a nearby tree.

_This guy must be foreign_, I thought, my curiosity growing. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Thor, son of Odin," he said with pride, bowing.

I couldn't help the grin that appeared on my face. This guy may be weird, but he was surely something else. "I'm Sophrose Collins, nice to meet you."

He gave me a small smile. "Well, Maiden Sophrose, I am glad to have your company."

An idea came to me. Since Russell wanted me to keep him busy... "Have you seen much of the park yet?"

"I'm afraid not," he replied, "I found myself in awe of the beasts you called giraffes."

"How about I show you around?" I offered, shifting my weight to the side a bit. "I'm on my break, I guess, and I really have nothing to do, so... How about it?"

Thor's face lit up, a broad grin stretching out. "That sounds fascinating! Lead the way, fair maiden!"

I showed Thor around half of the park. He was like a big child in a toy store. When I showed him the tigers he asked me if it were possible to purchase one. We were heading to the main building when Anna, a sweet Chinese girl that worked here, came running up to us.

"Soph! We-I-need you're help!" She said between breaths.

"Calm down!" I urged her, rubbing her back. "What's going on?"

When her breathing calmed down, she looked up at me with nervous eyes. "Anaya, the pregnant jaguar's going into labour! We need you to help with the birth, since she only trust you to get close to her."

I nodded. "Ok, I'll be there."

"Thank you!" Anna cheered, before running off.

"What is going on?" Thor asked, clearly confused.

"One of our animals is giving birth, and I have to go help her," I explained.

Thor pursed his lips, thinking. "May I come observe?"

_Well, Russ did want me to keep an eye on him_. "Fine, but just keep your distance from the jaguar."

I patted Anaya's soft furry head, calming her. This was her first pregnancy, and she wasn't keeping calm. If any of the cubs got stuck, I'd have to reach up there and gently pull them out. She started to push, and I got ready to help. Thank God I have gloves on! Anaya yowled in pain, her roar echoing off the walls.

"It's ok, it'll be over soon," I cooed softly.

About half an hour later, a small spotted cub appeared. I reached out and untangled out from the sac, quickly positioning the cub in front of the tired jaguar. The cub was big - unusual for most jaguar cubs. After more and more panting and yowling from Anaya, her second cub was born. I felt rather emotional. It's not everyday you get to bring new life into the world.

"Well done, Sophrose," Russell congratulated me, grinning. "I knew you had it in you!"

I let out a loud sigh. "It was pretty intense, I'll admit that. But, I'm glad I did it."

Thor came up to the two of us. I almost forgot he was here. "You... have talent," he admitted, smiling softly.

I nodded, my face slightly burning up. "It's just what I was trained for," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"I think you deserve the rest of the day off for that, don't you agree?" Russell grinned at me.

My face lit up. "Thanks Russ!"

I left the medical ward, Thor following behind me. "You are an interesting woman, Sophrose."

I spun around, surprised. "Um, thank you?" It came out more as a question.

He took one of my hands on his. "I'm glad to have met you. Now, I must go."

I nodded, slightly crestfallen. "It was nice meeting you, Thor."

"And you, fair maiden."

I watched him walk away, heading for the exit. For a strange man, he was nice. Exhaustion took over, and I slowly made my way back to my cabin. I felt at peace.

My peaceful aura didn't last long though, when a hand clamped over my mouth and roughly pulled me against the wall of my cabin. I struggled with my captor, which made things worse. I saw in the captor's free hand a syringe with a dark liquid in it. pulling my sleeve up, the dark liquid was injected into me.

The hand went off my mouth. I opened my mouth to scream but felt a sharp pain in the back of my head, blacking out.


	2. Changes Within Me

I woke up on my bed, fully dressed still. A sharp pain in the back of my head arose when I sat up. What happened last night? Then memories came swimming to the surface. I was attacked on my way back to my cabin. And injected with something... I pulled up my sleeve and saw a small red dot from where the needle had gone into my skin on the crease in my arm. I should be worried, but how can I be when I have no idea what will happen to me?

I let out a loud sigh. Glancing at my alarm clock, I started at bit when I saw what time it was. Nine on the morning. I overslept! I rushed to my wardrobe, ignoring the spinning sensation from my head. I dressed into a pair of brown cargo shorts and a white tank top. I put on my brown work boots and headed out the door, tying my hair into a high ponytail as I went.

I went to the staff room, and Russ gave me a disapproving look. "You're up late," he noted, his eyes glancing up and down my body, scrutinizing.

"I'm sorry," I said hopelessly, "I overslept." I'd tell him about what happened but I don't think he'd believe me. Russ believes the parks security is top notch.

He waved off my apology. "Never mind that now, Sophrose. Remember the weird guy from yesterday?"

"Thor?" I asked, a small frown on my face, "yeah, I remember him. Hard not to," I added with a laugh.

"Yeah, him," Russ groaned. "He's back again, just to let you know. He asked for you, specifically, Soph."

I nodded, absent-mindedly grabbing a vanilla muffin from the table as I left the staff room. Why's Thor back again? I devoured the muffin within minutes, and Thor's massive build came into view.

"Hey Thor," I greeted him politely. He still scared me a bit.

Thor turned his head and beamed down at me. "Maiden Sophrose! It's good to see you again."

Now it was my turn to grin. Something about this man's smile was contagious. I liked it. "What are you doing back here?" I asked him.

"I'm leaving later today," he informed me, his smile fading a bit. I felt my own smile fade too.

"Oh, I see."

"I was wondering if you would mind if I joined you while you work around here?" he asked, sounding a bit nervous.

I grinned up at him. "Sure, I don't mind."

Thor followed me around while I worked, asking constant question about the animals. Like I said before, a big kid in a toy store. We had arrived at the jaguar enclosure, a large paddock like area with lots of vegetation and trees. We try to imitate the animal's natural habitat. I entered the enclosure, Thor sitting on a bench watching. I had to refill their water trough. One of the male jaguar, the pregnant jaguar's mate, pounced out of nowhere. I let out a surprised yelp.

"Are you all right, Maiden Sophrose?" Thor's booming voice called out.

"Yeah, I'm okay!" I shouted back to him, looking at the now full trough.

I turned off the hose and made my way back. I had my hand on the gate when a strange feeling coursed through me. Slowly, I turned back to the male jaguar, who had been stalking me. He was in a territorial state. My green eyes met the jaguar's yellow ones, and he let out a small but defined growl.  
I bared my teeth, snarling back ferociously. Wait, what? Why did I do that? He bared his teeth at me, long canine fangs exposed. My eyes felt strange, unnatural for a moment, and then everything was _clear_. My whole focus was sharp and detailed, like I had put the scene in front of me under a microscope. Another growl escaped my throat. Seriously, why the hell am I acting like this? The jaguar had had enough, and lunged at me.  
I heard Thor faintly shout my name. I dodged the incoming feline and jumped over him. Literally. I must've launched myself off the ground by at least nine feet, maybe even ten feet into the air. I darted to the gate, faster than normal, hastily locking it afterwards.

Thor's face entered my vision, his expression one of worry and shock. "Odin's beard, how did you do that?"

My mind was still racing. "I-I'm not sure what happened to me," I whispered.

He leaned in closer to my face, my own just inches from his. "Your eyes, they - they are the same as the predator's," he whispered, clearly astonished.

I rushed away from him to a drinking fountain. There was a little mirror above it in the shape of a shell. I gasped, horrified at what I saw.

They were slowly going back to normal, but it was scary. My eyes were a brighter green than usual, the irises more defined. But it was the pupils that were the attention-holder. They were slits, exactly like a cats.

I looked like a complete freak of nature.

Big, hands rested on my shoulders. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Fair maiden?"

"I- I don't know what's wrong with me," I said shakily, feeling tears coming on.

"Would you like me to escort you to your quarters?" He asked softly, his ice blue eyes gentle.

I nodded, giving him a weak smile.

Thor took me back to my cabin, coming inside with me. I went straight to the couch, lying down and curling into a ball. He sat down next to me, his hand rubbing my back comfortingly. He may be weird, but he sure was a gentleman. What was wrong with me? was fine until - oh.

That needle the man stabbed me with. That must be why I'm like this. So, what does it make me? I have unnatural abilities, my eyes go from pupils to slits. And I act like a feral animal. From all the movies I've watched, only one answer came to mind.

I was a mutant. A freak.


	3. Under the Circumstances

It's been a week since I last saw Thor, and since I discovered I had powers. So far, I've ended up doing some uncharacteristic things. Yesterday, I was feeding the lions and the big male lion let out a loud roar. I opened my mouth and let out what sounded a lot like a cat being forced into a bath against it's will. Everyone that was looking at the enclosure gave me some funny looks.

Russ has noticed my strange behaviour, as well as everyone else that works here. He's questioned me about it, but all I do is shrug and say I don't feel so good.

It feels strange, having these powers. It's like having an animal inside me, clawing at the surface trying to get out. And as for the man who attacked me... I can't remember a thing about him. Just that he was all clad in black. I don't know what to do.

I sat on a large rock, just out the back of the park. I needed some time alone. I miss Thor already. I miss his strangeness, and listening to the way he talks. Call me weird, but I wish I could see him again.

A man started walking slowly towards me, seeming hesitant. I gazed down at him curiously.

"Um, hello Miss," he called up to me.

"Hello," I said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

He cleared his throat. I looked at him more closely. He was a balding man, rather short. He had a kind face, which suited him considering his aged appearance. "Are you Sophrose Collins?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

"Would you mind coming down from there, please?" The man asked. "I have an important matter to discuss with you."

Letting out a sigh, I got to me feet and lunged off the rock. I landed lightly in front of him, in a crouching position. "Sure thing."

The man looked both worried and relieved. We walked to a near-by picnic table and sat down, myself across from him, both of us eyeing each other warily.

"So," I began loudly, "you've got me here now, what do you want from me?"

The man looked flustered for a moment. "Huh? Oh, right, sorry. My name is Phil Cousland, I'm from an organisation called S.H.I.E.L.D. My boss, he's... well, he's aware of your newfound abilities."

My eyes widened. How could someone know? I've done everything to keep it secret! "And?" I asked as calmly as possible.

"I've been sent here to bring you to him," Cousland replied. "He thinks you can be of use to us."

"Just what exactly does 'He' want me to do?" I inquired.

He sighed. "I can't tell you. That's for Fury to say, not me."

"What if I don't want to go and meet him?" I challenged, raising my eyebrows.

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter," Coulson told me. "If you don't come with me, Fury will come for you himself."

I gazed into the man's eyes, studied him for a moment. "Fine, I'll go."

The flight to S.H.I.E.L.D. was a bumpy one, as it was in a helicopter. After two and a half hours, we landed on a metal ship. Coulson and I got out, taking in the scenery.

"Coulson!" A woman shouted out.

We turned and saw a woman with short red hair approaching us, two other men with her. She wore all black, her tight jacket and pants looking like a catsuit. The men were very different from each other. The youngest looking one had an all American look to him. Blonde hair, blue eyes and wearing the kind of clothes my grandfather would wear. The other man had black curly hair, slightly graying, and had a tired look about him.

"So, you succeeded then?" The red head said with a model smile that made me jealous.

"Yes," Coulson replied happily. "Oh, Sophrose, this is Agent Natasha Romanoff, and these two are Steve Rogers and Dr. Bruce Banner. You guys, this is Sophrose Collins."

I waved shyly. "Hi."

The young man, Steve, came forward and shook my hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," he said politely. Huh, a gentleman.

Banner shook my hand as well. "Nice to meet you, Sophrose."

"You too," I said after he let go, stretching my hand a bit from his strong grip.

Romanoff gave me another of her stunning smiles. "Looking forward to working with you."

Suddenly, the ship began to shake. I gripped Steve's shoulder for support. Banner, Steve and I looked over the edge of the ship, only to see that we were beginning to hover in the air.

"Oh, this is gonna be just _wonderful_," Banner said sarcastically.

"Well, given the circumstances, we have no choice, Doctor," A deep voice said from behind us.

We turned and a man was standing there with Coulson and Romanoff. He had an eye patch and a black cloak.

"I'm Dr Fury, now, come with me."

"Ah, so this is the animal chick? Nice."

The words came out of Tony Stark's mouth slyly, making me roll my eyes. "Nice to meet you too," I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"Well, I'll start explaining why you're all here then," Fury grumbled. "No longer than a week ago, a device known as the Tesseract was stolen by a man named Loki. A God from another universe. We've called you here to help us take Loki down and retrieve the Tesseract before it's too late."

I raised my hand hesitantly. Fury noticed and nodded for me to say something. "I don't understand, these guys are more skilled than me. How could I help in any way?"

"Under the circumstances, your abilities will most likely heighten your senses and reflexes," Banner explained.

"And Natasha will train you in hand-to-hand combat, and using firearms."

I looked to Romanoff, who nodded in agreement.

"So, are you all in?"

Steve nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Banner sighed. "This is going to be a disaster, but yes, I'm in."

Tony rolled his eyes at Banner. "Lighten up man. Yeah, I'm in."

"Are you with us, Sophrose?" Steve asked, smiling down at me.

I took a deep breath, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm in."

Fury nodded, exchanging a glance between Coulson. "Then it's settled. Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D."


	4. Fights and Praises

"Okay, one more time, Sophrose," Steve said encouragingly, "we're almost done for the day."

I regained my balance, panting from exhaustion. Steve was teaching me how to fight bare handed if I needed to, only when I brawl with him, I have to be careful. My abilities have been growing stronger and stronger every day. Now, my fingernails are rather long, and I've accidentally scratched myself a few times from it. Banner is working on some gloves that I can wear, so I don't hurt myself - or anyone else in S.H.I.E.L.D.

"I think we're done," Steve puffed, looking just as tired as I must.

"So, how did I do?" I asked.

Steve flashed his best smile at me. "A bit rough, you might need some more training. But," he added, when I groaned about training, "you're doing well, Sophrose."

I gave him a little smile back. "Thanks Steve."

I had to admit, Steve and I have become fast friends. And Banner,too. The thing that brought us together? Fighting.

Yesterday, everyone was inside the training room, watching Natasha and Steve fight it out. Natasha, being an assassin, used some sneaky tactics, while Steve's were more upfront and blunt.

"Ah, all right, you win!" Steve had gasped, lying down at Natasha's feet.

She grinned. "Victory!"

Tony nudged me in the elbow. "You should have a go, kitty cat. You against Natasha."

Yes, my nickname here is Kitty Cat. "I don't know..." I had replied uncertainly.

"Come on Sophrose! I'll go easy on you," Natasha added with a smirk.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped forward and began the fight with her. She threw a swift punch to my gut, making me let out a loud huff. Just that small amount of contact brought it out. My senses sharpened, my whole focus seemingly on Natasha. She darted to the side, and I followed suit. Letting out a growl, I lunged at her, clawing at her.

"Argh!" she shouted, throwing me off her.

I landed on my side painfully. Oh she was in for a ride!

"Is that all you got, Sophrose -?"

I cut her off by pouncing on her like a cat of the wilds, hitting her in the gut repeatedly. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. Instinctively I had grabbed whoever it was and flipped them over, onto Natasha.

"Ow," Tony moaned.

"Get off me, Stark," Natasha growled.

"Sophrose?" Banner asked.

I turned to him, still seething from the fight. His expression was one of concern, and understanding. Of course he had understood, he was the most easy of us to anger and turn into a raging monster.

"Take deep breaths," he instructed, "think of something that calms you."

I thought of the park, and the big cats. Being around them always made me forget my troubles, listening to their soothing purrs.. I opened my eyes shortly afterwards, a small smile on my face. "Thank you, Bruce."

I then turned to Natasha. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She waved it off. "I'm fine, had worse, I'll admit that. You did good."

"She's right, Sophrose," Steve added, smiling his all American smile.

"That's a big compliment, coming from a Master Assassins and a Super Soldier."

Steve ruffled my hair with his hand. "You did well. Please accept our praise, you earned it."

"Thank you, everyone," I said, feeling slightly awkward.

Tony came over and wrapped his arm around me. "It's okay, Kitty Cat. Now, who wants a drink?"

I was laying on my bed, thinking of how things at SHIELD were going for me, when Tony barged into my room, wearing his suit.

"Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" I grumbled.

"Come on Sophrose, we're needed. We've got a God to catch up with."

I sighed. "Well alright - wait, a God?"


	5. Man Above the Rest

I travelled with Natasha and Steve on a helicopter to Stuttgart, Germany. And let me tell you, this helicopter was high tech! It's like a jet fighter and a chopper had a baby.

In truth, I was suppressing excitement. Never before had I gone out of the states. Seeing Germany for the first time in my life, instead of on TV, was incredible. The whole ride I was silently fan-girling over the country.

"How hard is this gonna be?" I called out to Natasha, who was talking to the pilot.

She quickly turned to me, taking out one of her handguns and loading it. "Hard, Loki is most likely got something up his sleeve that will make it hard for us."

We hovered over a small center outside this luxurious looking building. A big crowd of people were on their knees in front of a tall, lean man with strange clothes and a horned golden helmet. Steve and I jumped out quickly as an old man had stood up to face Loki. Even with the old man's harsh remarks on not being led by him, the god merely laughed and pointed his scepter at him.

Steve threw his shield and caught the rays before they could hurt the old man. Loki looked towards us and smirked.

"Well, I can hardly say I'm not surprised to see you here," he said loudly, his voice still remaining soft somehow.

"The last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing," Steve said calmly, gripping his shield tighter as he approached the god.

Loki's green eyes shone brighter with glee. He pointed his scepter at Steve and shot him back. Luckily, he missed. "The soldier, a man out of time...I am a _god_, you foolish mortal! The likes of you will not stop me here today."

"Why are you doing this?" I shouted out to him, looking at Steve in horror. If he got himself hurt...

"You're out of time, Loki!" Steve yelled.

He merely laughed, pointing his scepter at Steve and blasting him backwards. I let out a horrified gasp.

His eyes shifted to me, dulling a bit. "You mortals don't get it, do you? You are made to be ruled. If you are not ruled, then there will be chaos!"

I let out a growl. "Then I guess I have to stop you."

I ran at him, faster than any normal human would. He fired the scepter at me furiously. I dodged the oncoming rays, falling on my hands and running like an animal. I was close enough now. I leaped at him, knocking him to the ground. He punched me in the face multiple times. So much for no violence against women, huh? My response? I bit him. I sank my teeth into his arm, through the sleeve.

Loki growled in pain and threw me off him. I landed with a huff as my back hit the stairs. He stepped towards me, observing. He towered over my crumpled form. "You are no mortal. You, my dear girl, are something else... A monster, perhaps? Or merely an experiment gone wrong, like your friend, the solider?"

I glared at him, my eyebrows furrowing together. "No shit, I'm not normal," I muttered angrily, "and I am no monster - the only monster here is you."

He chuckled, amused. "We shall see in due time." Twirling his scepter around. he pressed it to the side of my head. "Now, kneel."

"Not today."

I kicked him in the groin, allowing myself time to get away as Steve rushed over. He disarmed Loki, only for him to do the same, knocking his shield away. They soon entered a fist fight, throwing punches like it was WWE.

As the chopper hovered over us, music started to play. Loudly. It sounded like... ACDC? I think so. Soon enough, the man in iron made his appearance. A smirk made it's way onto my face. Trust Tony to arrive this way. He hovered over us and blasted Loki with a fireball, sending him into the stairs.

Tony landed next to Steve. He offered his hand to pull me up, which I gladly accepted. Then we turned to Loki. "Your move, Reindeer Games," he said cockily.

Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, Loki used some kind of magic to turn his clothes from god-like to normal. Or at least, somewhat normal.

"Good move," Tony complimented, turning to Steve and I. "Captain, Kitty Cat."

"Mr Stark," we both said flatly, glaring at the man below us.

Natasha's voice boomed over the square. "Okay guys, let's get his on the road."

I felt Steve breath by my ear. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I replied, though my answer was a lie. "I'll be okay, don't worry."

In fact, I felt far from fine. It was like my sanity was on edge - I wanted to rip everything and everyone to shreds. I blinked, shaking my head quickly to rid myself of the dark thoughts. I hope I can keep a hold on myself until we got back to SHIELD.


	6. It's Him!

Flying back to SHIELD headquarters was... well to put it lightly, awkward. All of us sat in silence, occasionally making eye contact with each other. The person I kept making eye contact with was Loki. He'd look over at me, seemingly curious. I'd return his gaze feeling extremely confused. It was like he was observing me, watching and taking note of my every movement.

Natasha was talking to Fury over some sort of radio device, and Tony and Steve were murmuring to each other about something, leaving me sitting there awkwardly while a Norse god watches me like a hawk. Way to go, guys.

The plane started to shudder as thunder abruptly appeared. Everyone looked around, confused and alert... Loki, on the other hand, wasn't surprised. The look on his face was more, resigned? Like he knew what the thunder and lightning meant.

Steve glanced over at him. "What's the matter, don't like thunder?"

He sighed. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Then **_Bang_**. Something solid and hard landed on the roof of the plane, shaking us all.

"I'm gonna see what it is," Tony muttered, putting his mask back on and pressing the button to open the ramp of the plane.

As soon as the ramp opened, a man landed inside, wielding a massive hammer. His clothes were similar to Loki's - another Asgardian? _Wait a minute_, I thought, looking at his face.

"Thor!?" I shrieked, gasping in surprise. He was a god too?

His blue eyes snapped towards my face, recognizing me. The he spun his hammer and blasted Tony back with lightning, grabbing Loki by the neck and jumping out the plane.

"Great, now there's that guy," Tony muttered, getting to his feet.

"Sophrose, you know him?" Natasha yelled.

"Yes, I do," I replied, still in shock.

Steve pulled his mask up, but Tony had approached the ramp. "Stark! What are you doing?"

"Going after them, obviously," he replied sassily.

My gaze flicked from the two men to a parachute on the seat. If they go down, so will I. I know Thor, maybe I could get him to stop and explain?

"... - You even have a plan?" Steve argued.

"Yes. Attack."

And with that, he flew off and disappeared into the storm.

I put on the parachute and started to walk towards the ramp. But Steve heavily grabbed my shoulder. "Soph, what are you doing? You can't go down there."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, I can. Look I know it sounds crazy, but I know Thor. Maybe I could get him to stop - "

He quickly shook his head, frowning. "One wrong move could get you killed."

I shook off his hand. "I'll take the risk!" I said shakily, running towards the ramp and jumping off into the clouds.

*Thor's P.O.V*

She was the last person I expected to be here. I will not lie, seeing the maiden made my heart leap. The time I spent at that, what did she call it? The wildlife park, I think. Spending time with her there was an incredible experience, made me forget about Jane...  
What happened with Jane was a troubling, painful thing. When I return to Earth, I went and saw her... With her newly wedded husband. Heartbroken, I left and wandered the region known as Manhattan. And that;s where I encountered Maiden Sophrose.

"So, Brother, what brings you here?" Loki's voice pulled my mind away from the woman.

"I'm here to put an end to your schemes," I growled. "And bring you home."

He chuckled darkly. "You know full well, that _Father_," he sneered the words like it was a curse, "would rather see me dead then back in Asgard."

"And what of Mother?" I challenged, baring my teeth a little. "She wants you to come home. Have you no sense for family anymore?"

"Get this through your head, Brother!" He snapped, sitting down on a rock. "I will not return until I have finished my task here. Whether you like it or not, I will conquer Earth."

He is so stubborn... Blind with rage. "Listen here - "

I was cut off when something hard flew into me, sending me flying into the forest below the rocks.

*Normal P.O.V.*

I had landed on a log in the forest. Unhooking myself from the parachute, I searched the darkness for Thor and Tony. Nothing. Swearing I focused my hearing and closed my eyes.

I could hear them, straight ahead through the trees. They were fighting, and I could hear both engine noises and lightning. I got up and ran towards the sound. They were just about to charge when I shouted, "Stop!"

It got their attention. "Maiden, stay back!" Thor's voice boomed through the clearing.

"Both of you need to calm down," I said, stepping forward.

"No offence, Kitty Cat, but I think this guy's beyond reasoning."

What followed next was a blur. Lightning. Unbearable pain. Rage.

As soon as the shock vanished, my self control was slipping. I fell to my knees, somewhat oblivious to their intense arguing. My whole body shook, and I let out a scream. What was happening to me? I opened my eyes slightly to see fur sprouting out of my hands, my fingernails turning to thick claws. Jerking my head back, I screamed again as another bolt of pain shot through me. My teeth were now longer.

The pain stopped, and I got to my feet. Thor and Tony watched with wide eyes as I let out a deafening roar. I could hear snickering from the distance... probably Loki. I heard a thud from behind me. Turning around I saw Steve staring wide eyed at me.

"Sophrose, calm down," he warned me, stepping carefully towards me. "It's me, Steve."

I shook my now furry head, growling. One thing was on my mind - killing. I wanted to _kill _them. I _wanted_ to kill Steve, my best friend.

I roared as I looked up. The plane was hovering above us, and Natasha was standing on the ramp, gun in hand aimed at me. Growling again, I jumped up at the plane, just in time as Natasha shot me. And the world went black as I fell to the ground.

(So... Sophrose's power has gotten stronger! Now she's like Bruce xD Comment what you think please! Love you guys)


	7. Truth

As soon as we arrived back at SHIELD, Loki was marched off and locked away in a special cell. Meanwhile, the rest of the Avengers were arguing with Thor about Loki's fate. Mind you, I couldn't concentrate very well on what they were all saying. What happened on the forest was still in my mind.

"He's my brother," I heard Thor argue.

"He's killed eighty people in two days," Natasha snapped back.

I turned towards the argument and saw Thor's face twitch. "He's adopted," he said sheepishly.

My head jerked abruptly. The same feelings I felt in the forest haven't gone away. The instinct to rip everyone's face off was strong in my mind. I felt Bruce's hand rest on my shoulder, and a pair of brown eyes gazing at me, concerned. I gritted my teeth, balling my hands so I wouldn't do anything I would surely regret later.

"Sophrose, what's wrong?" I heard him ask.

I let out a low growl. "I can't get rid of it," I hissed.

He frowned. "Can't get rid of what?"

"The _anger_!" I snarled. Everyone was looking at me now, Thor especially. "How do you _do it?_"

"Control it? Just take your mind off it. Think of something that makes you happy, or someone. Try to push aside your instincts." I shook my head."Come on, Soph," Bruce cooed, "you can do this. I _know _you can."

I tried to relax. Think of something that makes you happy... The first thing that came to mind was meeting Thor at the park. Listening to his strange sayings, watching him act like a kid on Christmas Eve around the animals. I took deep breaths through my nose. After a minute of this, I finally felt... human, again.

I looked right at Bruce, who was watching with a small smile on his face. "Thank you, Bruce."

"No need to thank me," he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Now _that's _out of the way, we need to interrogate Loki, find out what he wants," Fury grumbled, irritated.

Natasha sighed. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Natasha?" I asked, concerned.

She nodded, giving me a half-smile. "Yes, I'm sure. Someone has to." She gave Tony a warning glare, before walking out of the room towards Loki's cell.

"I'm going to my room," I mumbled, shuffling out of the awkward circle of super humans.

_Knock. Knock. _

Two very loud knocks banged against my door.

"Come in," I groaned, burying my face even more into the pillow.

The door opened and closed. Someone heavy sat on the bed beside me. "Maiden?"

I sat up. Bright blue eyes gazed into my own, concerned. "What do you want, Thor?"

His eyebrows furrowed together. "You were upset before. You had trouble controlling your power, am I right?"

I nodded. "I didn't expect it to be like that, to become something... unnatural. I almost killed my best friend, for God's sake! Now I know what Bruce feels like..."

He sat closer to me, wrapping a giant, muscular arm around my shoulders. "What did it feel like?"

"Like I had no control. All I could think about is killing, seeing blood..." I cut myself off, disgusted with how I sounded.

"But you did control it, in the end," Thor pointed out.

I frowned at him, suddenly reminded of something. "You never told me you're a Norse god."

Now it was his turn to look uncomfortable. "Oh, yes. Well, I could not just outright tell you. For one, it would be dangerous for you to know. Secondly, I am a demigod. You, a mortal, would be put in situations which you may not understand if I had told you at the time."

My only response was a simple, "Okay."

"Now you know. And I do apologise for lying to you."

I shook my head, my blonde hair falling into my face. "There's nothing to apologise for. If I was in your position, I would have done the same."  
Thor stood up, pulling me with him. "Great! Now, enough of this sulking around. Let's join the others for what you mortals call, spaghetti!"

(So... It's been a while. I apologise if this chapter sucks, people. I trying hard to work on stories whenever I can. But with schoolwork...yeah, not too easy. Leave a comment on what you thought! I love you guys.)


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